All posts tagged advertising

If you have yet to buy an ad for your small business on Facebook, the social-networking giant has a new incentive in the works.

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Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook

Facebook will unveil a plan this week to offer free $50 advertising credits to up to 200,000 small businesses, according to an article on USA Today’s website. It quotes the company’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, saying that every small firm should have a presence on Facebook, particularly those that can’t yet afford to build their own sites.

A spokeswoman for Facebook confirmed the promotion, but also said it’s possible the deal won’t be rolled out until next week. The ads in question are the ones listed on the right side of all Facebook pages except for the site’s home page. Without any discounts, the ads cost fees that vary depending on click volume, the audience they’re targeted toward and other factors. …

An acne-fighting dermatologist in New York, a home-remodeler in Evansville, Ind., and a furniture retailer in New Orleans are among the 10 small businesses that were named winners Wednesday of a local-commercial competition.

Dr. Zizmor

Last month, the Independent Film Channel launched the contest, called the Local Commercial Awards, or LOCOs. Anyone with an Internet connection was welcome to vote for their favorite small-business TV or Web ad at the media company’s website, and nearly 10,000 votes were cast.

The contest was divided into 10 categories, including most overly dramatic performance, best original song or jingle, most memorable and best overall. One winner was chosen among the top three commercials with the most votes in each category …

According to an article in today’s WSJ, old-fashioned airborne advertising is a popular marketing medium for businesses this summer thanks to consistently hot, sunny weekend weather. It says that most likely to benefit are beachside establishments with products or and services that help celebrate summer.

Skywriting and banners towed by humming planes are undoubtedly tough for consumers to ignore. They’re also a relatively inexpensive advertising option compared with other classic formats like television commercials and glossy magazine ads. …

Commercials promoting small, local businesses may lack famous faces, special effects or state-of-the-art production quality. But does that make the best ones any less deserving of an award like the Clio?

The Independent Film Channel thinks it’s about time these low-budget works get some widespread recognition. On Monday, the media company launched the Local Commercial Awards, or LOCOs, a contest that invites the public to vote for their favorite small-business TV or Web ad – past or present.

The contest is divided into several categories, including most overly dramatic performance, best original song or jingle, most memorable and best overall. A winner will be chosen among the top three commercials with the most votes in each category by the stars of a new IFC “docu-comedy” called Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings. The 10-part weekly series, which first aired on June 24, chronicles Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, friends who travel the country making local commercials for small businesses. The duo has already created more than 200 Web and TV spots, many of which you can watch via YouTube by clicking here.

Small-business groups in San Francisco this week are attacking a city proposal to limit distribution of Yellow Pages phonebooks, saying the free business directories are an important tool for advertising and marketing.

Board of Supervisors President David Chiu last month proposed banning unsolicited deliveries of the business directories, allowing residents instead to sign up in advance or accept home delivery in person. He says millions of the directories get dumped on area doorsteps every year, creating piles of waste and clogging up city recycling centers.

“This proposal is first and foremost about honoring consumers’ preferences and giving San Franciscans a choice in whether or not to receive the Yellow Pages,” Chiu said in a statement. He says the move will conserve resources, promote green business practices and fiscal responsibility, and reduce the city’s carbon footprint …

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America’s entrepeneurs are executives who build companies from the ground up. In Charge provides news, analysis and in-the-trenches commentary about small-business management. Produced by Sarah E. Needleman, Emily Maltby and Angus Loten, with contributions from the Wall Street Journal staff and others. Have a comment or tip? Write to incharge@wsj.com.